Sabaton - Red Baron

Do you ever feel like you’re late to an artist? Sabaton is one of those bands for me. They’ve been around since 1999 after all, and it’s only with their 2019 effort The Great War that I’ve become completely and utterly hooked on them. Their newer stuff is a lot more polished, but their themes of heroism, war and individual achievement ring true no matter which album you pick up. It’s two parts epic, thumping headbangers mixed with one very generous part “not-quite-pop” catchiness. Some people decry them for being a little cheesy, and I can’t disagree – they’re cheesier than a 40 inch four cheese feast at times – but there’s so much to enjoy here that I can’t recommend them enough.

So, for your auditory pleasure, here’s this week’s song, Red Baron, which I think might be one of the Swedish group’s catchiest songs about German WW1 pilots yet. Given how thematic it all is, and the fact there’s a keyboard solo, somehow it’s not quite power metal (and the band themselves don’t thank you to call them power metal either!), but it’s got some very similar sensibilities. It’s rock all the way through, though, so apply to your ears liberally.